{"product_id":"preparing-the-modern-meal-urban-capitalism-and-working-class-food-in-kenyas-port-city-paperback","title":"Preparing the Modern Meal: Urban Capitalism and Working-Class Food in Kenya's Port City - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDevin Smart\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA case study on how urban capitalism created a new working-class food system in the port city of Mombasa during the twentieth century​.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In the early twentieth century, East Africans lived primarily in rural areas, cultivating most of the food they consumed. By the start of the twenty-first century, though, millions of people lived in cities, where they purchased their food from markets and eateries. This transformation reflects broader historical shifts in food production, preparation, and consumption throughout the world from a rural subsistence model to a commercial system. \u003ci\u003ePreparing the Modern Meal \u003c\/i\u003eexplores this economic revolution in Mombasa, Kenya, and examines the experiences of those who migrated from rural settings to an Indian Ocean town where they became dependent on the capitalist market for their daily meals. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The change to a commercial food system reshaped the culinary culture of East Africa. In rural communities, diets were diverse and varied with the seasons. Conversely, Mombasa's commercial supply chains, which steadily delivered staples like maize meal, wheat flour, tea, and meat, led to a more uniform urban cuisine that remained consistent throughout the year. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Urbanization also altered gender roles in cooking. In rural households women prepared the food, but in Mombasa many workers lived in all-male housing and had to cook for themselves. Some even took up cooking as a profession, thus expanding the role of men in the culinary domain. In addition to these themes, \u003ci\u003ePreparing the Modern Meal \u003c\/i\u003ereviews the emergence of new businesses, particularly those of street food vendors who provided affordable meals in residential neighborhoods and to nearby workplaces. However, these makeshift eateries often clashed with the vision for commerce in a modern city held by municipal officials, who often sought to eliminate these businesses through fines, arrests, and demolition campaigns. Through the lens of food, this book explores the conflicts between elite ideas about urban modernity and the actual ways that poor communities made their lives work in an unequal city. \u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDevin Smart\u003c\/b\u003e is an assistant professor of history at West Virginia University, where he teaches courses in African, European, and global history. His most recent articles have appeared in the \u003ci\u003eJournal of African History\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eInternational Labor and Working-Class History, \u003c\/i\u003e and his current research projects examine Kenya's commercial fisheries as well as the energy transition that occurred in twentieth-century East Africa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 252\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.64 x 8.98 x 6.12 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 27, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45774968389829,"sku":"9780821426234","price":76.17,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0757\/6718\/5605\/files\/3jWGAZYElP9780821426234.webp?v=1770529132","url":"https:\/\/selloorium.com\/products\/preparing-the-modern-meal-urban-capitalism-and-working-class-food-in-kenyas-port-city-paperback","provider":"Selloorium","version":"1.0","type":"link"}